6 Dec 25

The Flash

8.0°C: Between torrential showers. Light / moderate southerly breeze. Good visibility.

[Sunrise: 08:06 GMT]

I made an aborted early trip to the Balancing Lake having got soaked checking the Priorslee Avenue tunnel. I tried again at The Flash later when it appeared to be clearing. I had to sit in the car for 30 minutes for another heavy shower to pass and then made a brisk walk (well paddle really) around before the next deluge.

(Ed Wilson)

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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:

Flies:
- 1 winter cranefly

Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 spiders: usual suspects

(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:55 – 10:50

(289th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- a drake Shoveler seen at the top end was likely the same bird seen later flying in to the bottom end.
- two noisy drake (Common) Teal seen by the island. No ducks noted
- I did not bother with counting the Coots – I was intent on getting back to the car before the next shower.
- several of the Herring Gulls departed. Conversely all three Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew in.

Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 2 Herring Gulls

Noted on / around the water:
- 4 Canada Geese
- 6 Greylag Geese: departed together
- 1 (1♂) Shoveler
- 29 (20♂) Mallard
- 5 (3♂) Pochard
- 21 (14♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (1♂) Goosander
- 12 Moorhens
- Coots not counted
- 3 Great Crested Grebes
- 14 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Herring Gulls: all ages
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: all (near) adults
- 4 Cormorants
- 2 Grey Herons

Around the area:

Nothing noted

Another photo of a drake Shoveler. It seems to be more rufous on the flanks every day.

Two drake (Common) Teal. The back one holding its wing to expose the green speculum.

A drake Pochard. It was pretending to be asleep until I pointed the camera at it when it looked around.

Has this pair of Goosander already fallen out? The drake, on the right, looks significantly larger here. While drakes average larger than ducks I think the difference is accentuated here by the duck being at an angle.

A brave first-winter Black-headed Gull daring me to walk past it as it stands on a bridge parapet.

A brutish-looking third-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. Aged by the strong black mark across both mandibles. There are no other clues that this is not a full adult.

 "Angel at The Flash"? An immature Cormorant hangs its wings out to dry.

Plane of the day. There is a saying: "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. There are very few old, bold pilots". This pilot was threading his way between heavy showers. His mount is a 1977 vintage Reims-built Cessna F172N Skyhawk owned by Aerohire Ltd. from Ackleton. It flies from Wolverhampton's Halfpenny Green airfield. Over 6000 Cessna-designed aircraft were built in France by Reims Aviation.

(Ed Wilson)

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2013
Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill Site
2 adult Caspian Gulls (one with a green ring suggesting a German/Polish border origin).
8 Yellow-legged Gulls
80+ Great Black-backed Gulls
c.1000 Herring Gulls
2000+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
1st w Viking Gull (hybrid Glaucous x Herring Gull)
2 ad hybrid Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(Tom Lowe)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
44 Tufted Ducks
176 Coots
c.200 Black-headed Gulls
c.650 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.20 Herring Gulls
2 Great Black-backed Gulls.
5 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
234 Jackdaws
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
1 Little Grebe
1 Cormorant
35 Mute Swans
2 Shoveler
48 Tufted Duck
3 Goosander
162 Coots
228 Black-headed Gulls
(Ed Wilson)

Little Wenlock, Candles Landfill
Caspian Gull
7 Yellow-legged Gulls
3500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
500 Herring Gulls
Common Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

Buildwas
3 Yellow-legged Gulls
500 Lapwings
(Tom Lowe)

2006
Priorslee Lake
5 Pochard
52 Tufted Ducks
1 eclipse drake Ruddy Ducks
9 Golden Plover
>2000 Black-headed Gulls
>2526 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
22 Robins
24 Blackbirds
c.45 Fieldfares
4 Song Thrushes
10 Redwings
348 Jackdaws
132 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)

2005
Priorslee Lake
2 Ravens
1 Cormorant
c.400 Black-headed Gulls
4 Pochard
39 Tufted Duck
1 Little Grebes
233 Coot
14 Redpolls
17 Siskins
24 Pied Wagtails
9 Redwings
12 Fieldfares
7 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)